How do A-Net track users?

Hi,

what different ways can Anet track those who are in the game?

I can think of the following:

1) Email address / account ID
2) IP address of user connecting to their servers.

Any others?

Eg - can they track the MAC address of a PC accessing their game?

what are you looking for ??

once you you are logged in.. well, you are online.
Since you are interacting with their servers as a logged user, they don't need to do any particular tracking.

your question sounds suspicious. Are you trying to dodge getting track?

When you installed Guild Wars, you also installed the ability to have a camera in your monitor to look out at you and into your room.

But on topic, I would think the account comes first. If something fishy happens, like mass trading from one account to another, IP can be checked too to see if the accounts could be related or if the items are ebayed.

my bet is on the ip, ive had a private server of wow, and i could see the ip of people connecting on my server, i could also see their chat log/movement in the game,actually im pretty sure they can see whatever you do in game if they want.They dont need to put stuff on your computer..since you're the one connecting to their server.

Enough of the "witty" one-liners please - srs question needs srs answer.

To OP - the only reason I can come up with for wondering if ANet can see MAC addresses is that you want to know if they can trace stolen accounts, would I be right?

More input please - before this lot tempt me into exercising my hitherto-unused infraction button

Received a permanent ban for "botting".

Basically I set up a logitech keyboard to farm raptors with 4 macro keys and spent an entire weekend doing it. They called a 15hr stint "unhuman" and banned me.

Since they state they will ban anyone trying to get back into the game, then if I choose to buy the games again I would like to avoid this.

I have tried appealing, but they copy and paste the same responses to me and have now started to ignore requests for proof and to entertain an informed discussion.

The ban is not just, I dont trade gold for real life cash, I was after gold drops, picks and white / black dye.

Seems the macro to run a set of actions from the logitech is bannable.

Ah, that one.

Macros are a very grey area. ANet have nothing against macros per se, as long as there is actually a human there operating the macros manually, i.e. scripts would be bannable.

As they've looked at the transcript for your actions over those 15 hours, all they can see is a mass of commands with the same time difference between them which would set all the "bot alarms" ringing. They work on the basis of reasonable doubt, as there is no way to prove this one way or another and, let's face it, 15 hours straight is pretty extreme for Raptor farming.

I really can't think of anything else to suggest, other than persisting with your claims of innocence - maybe if you sent them a copy of the macros you used so they can see that they were un-automated scripts?

You should be able to buy the games again and play with no problems. You'll have to have a different email address more than likely though.

The validity of the ban will not be discussed here.

If I where you, I would try what Snograt suggested. Make sure to attach the macros, the logitec version information and so on.

The problem here is the 15 hours of continuous play.

I am not asking for the validity of the ban to be discussed here. I will only point out that I consider it un-just in the extreme, being my opinion.

However, taking the suggestions into account, how can I proceed as Snograt suggested if they are simply ignoring any attempts at conversation or reasoned debate?

They have decided their decision is final with stubborn defiance to enter into debate. In fact, I am not even asking for debate, I am asking for conversation.

Since they will not converse with me, and that my only recourse to the game is to put money in their corporate pocket and buy it again, I am asking how can they track me as I do not want to shell out a dollop of cash to be "re-banned" on day 2 - again with no notice, no warning or justification.

Thanks.

.

You might want to point out the 'fact' that there were a reasonable number of short nature/munchie breaks in the 15 hours. If there were no breaks.....

^ I question that. From the EULA...

Isn't there a semi-notorious Guru member that had his primary account perma banned and his subsequent new account, also perma banned when Anet found it(at least temporarilly, since he did have permission to start a new one)?

*edit
Try here.

Not sure if anet can track MAC addresses but they can see your IP address if needed. Your IP address can be traced back to your ISP provider like Comcast. The ISP provider CAN see you MAC address info and can terminate your internet service or proceed with legal action if needed. So basically use your internet and play the game the way it was intended!

http:///wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User talk:Gaile_Gray/Support_Issues

I hope that's the right address - I had to hand code it because I can't link from behind a proxy. Gaile is your last option to get this resolved: If she can't help you, nobody can.

There is nothing else we can do for you here.